No Press Freedom In Sri Lanka; Colombo Telegraph Blockade Is One Of The Three Key Developments: Freedom House
Freedom on the Net 2014 – the fifth annual comprehensive study of internet freedom around the globe, covering developments in 65 countries that occurred between May 2013 and May 2014 –found three key issues regarding Sri Lanka’s internet freedom and named Sri Lanka’s “Press Freedom 2014 status” as “Not Free”.
According the report, published on Thursday by the US-based Freedom House, the key developments in Sri Lanka between May 2013 – May 2014 are;- In March 2014, the information ministry formed a committee to regulate social media, shortly after President Rajapaksa dubbed them a “disease;” the scope of its activities remains unclear.
- The Colombo Telegraph website was repeatedly inaccessible, continuing a trend of pressure on online news outlets.
- Incidents of violence and harassment against internet users declined, though traditional journalists met with increased intimidation .
Targeted, politicized censorship continued throughout 2013 and 2014 with the website of the Colombo Telegraph periodically blocked, apparently because of its dissenting content and coverage of controversial political affairs in the country, the report noted.
Read the full report here
